Psychological Maltreatment: The Wounds We Don’t Talk About

When we think of child abuse, most of us picture the obvious: bruises, broken bones, visible neglect. These are the injuries that make headlines, trigger investigations, and prompt urgent action.

But there’s another kind of harm—just as real, just as damaging—that leaves no visible trace. It doesn’t show up on X-rays or in photographs, and it often hides in plain sight.